Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of waiting times for young people attempting to access child and adolescent mental health services; and if he will publish average national waiting times in each of the years 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Average national waiting times in each of the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 will not be published as information on waiting times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services is not collected centrally. There is anecdotal evidence of increasing waiting times in some areas. We do not know whether or not this is due to an increase in referrals or in the prevalence of mental health conditions but will be seeking further information by commissioning a survey into the prevalence of mental illness in children and young people.